What Are Fat Bombs?

The term fat bomb is probably the last thing you’d expect to be associated with a diet, but welcome to keto . As most human beings with eyeballs know by now, going keto means adhering to a low-carb , high-fat diet and it’s officially evolved in the last year from epilepsy-treatment to celebrity-endorsed diet trend. Since the standard program for a keto diet is made up of at least 70 percent fats, it can be difficult to up your fat intake in a healthy way while minimizing carbs. And that’s where fat bombs come in.

First off, what is a fat bomb? Think of it as an energy ball the size of a ping pong ball for the keto compliant. Ranging from sweet to savory, there are a whole bunch of recipes out there that go heavy on high-fat ingredients while limiting carbs. Salty recipes commonly use cream cheese, avocado, or eggs as their base, and sweeter ones use ingredients like coconut oil or coconut butter.

For Vivica Menegaz, who runs the keto-paleo blog The Nourished Caveman , fat bombs are the perfect way to help beginners incorporate more fat in a nutritious way.

“A lot of people come from low-fat diets,” says Menegaz. “So they start keto and they have no idea how to incorporate fat, especially in healthy ways that aren’t just piling on butter.”

Sahil Makhija of Headbanger’s Kitchen agrees. “Fat bombs are great for people who struggle to fit ‘fat’ into their meals,” he says. If trying to add enough butter or other sources of fat into recipes gets overwhelming, “the fat bomb helps aid them in eating more fat without struggling through a fatty meal.”

You might be trying to decide whether or not to incorporate fat bombs into your repertoire. For our panel of experts, understanding the role that they play in your diet makes a big difference when it comes to how effective they are for weight loss goals. Brand new recipe video! Chocolate peanut butter fat bombs!! Link in bio. Enjoy! #headbangerskitchen #chocolate #peanutbutter A post shared by Headbanger’s Kitchen (@headbangerskitchen) on Feb 19, 2018 at 8:27am PST “Being in ketosis does not depend on how much fat you eat,” Menegaz says. “It depends on the restriction of carbohydrates.” Eating a fat bomb won’t put you in ketosis, but it will help you reach your target intakes. “So it’s a good, little, easy way to help reach and maintain macros.”

For Ginger Hultin, a Seattle-based dietician , this point is especially important, no matter what some blogs might say.

“Fat bombs don’t equal ketosis,” she explained. “They are a keto-friendly food. I think that the worst thing that you could do is you could be eating fat bombs that are kicking you out of ketosis, because then you’re going to seriously gain weight.”

Okay. Say that you’ve mapped out your macros, worked hard to get into ketosis, and are getting seriously sick of meals swimming in butter. Or, maybe you’re about to go on a trip and want to make sure you have a high-fat snack to keep you in the zone. How do you make sure that you’re making a fat bomb the right way?

The most basic rule, according to Hultin, is that there is no sugar allowed at all for true ketosis. That means no maple syrup, honey, or any added sugar of any kind. Instead, for sweet recipes, use minimal amounts of stevia.

Menegaz, who authored “ The Everything Big Book of Fat Bombs ,” also uses erythritol, another popular low-carb sweetener .

In general, she sticks to a formula of at least 70 percent fats, around 20 percent protein, and less than 5 percent carbs. She also advises using whole food ingredients and staying away from processed stuff ( generally a good rule to follow).

For sweet fat bombs, her personal favorite flavor is matcha , though her readers go crazy for her chocolate macadamia recipe. Makhija, a long-time Nutella fan, ranks hazelnut as his winning fat bomb. If you’re that rare human who doesn’t like chocolate , there are cinnamon fat bombs for those cinnamon roll cravings , macaroon fat bombs that fully embrace coconut, and lemon ones for a spring kick.

There are even more possible flavor combinations for savory bombs. Menegaz loves prosciutto cups and curried egg bombs, which will definitely get you out of any butter-induced funk. Or get your day started with a salmon benedict-inspired fat bomb, everything bagel and lox bombs, or even guacamole bombs.

Remember, though, that no matter how delicious they are, fat bombs shouldn’t be eaten all of the time. Hultin recommends working with a doctor or a dietician to make sure that they fit into your diet.

Makhija put it this way. “What I explain to beginners is that you really don’t need to be popping fat bombs all day long,” he says. “You need to learn to fit them into your macros and only really eat them if there is a requirement for it.”

On the savory end of the spectrum, these are great little meat-and-cheese bites with a nutty crunch. Get the Baked Brie and Pecan Prosciutto Savory Fat Bombs recipe .

Eggs, butter, smoked salmon, lemon, and chives…basically brunch in a single bite. Get the Salmon Benny Breakfast Bombs recipe .

If you prefer cream cheese to eggs and can’t get enough everything bagel seasoning, these are perfect. Get the Everything Bagel and Lox Fat Bombs recipe .

Bacon and avocado. What more do you need to know? Get the Bacon Guacamole Fat Bombs recipe .

Related Video: How to Remove the Pit from an Avocado

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Carmen Clayton

Spent two years building mannequins in Washington, DC. Spent a weekend managing sauerkraut in the UK. In 2008 I was investing in birdhouses in Deltona, FL. Practiced in the art of training Uno in Edison, NJ. Spent 2002-2008 supervising the production of muffins in Los Angeles, CA.